Minimally invasive surgical (MIS) instruments are often preferred over traditional open surgical devices due to the reduced post-operative recovery time and minimal scarring. Laparoscopic surgery is one type of MIS procedure in which one or more small incisions are formed in the abdomen and a trocar is inserted through the incision to form a pathway that provides access to the abdominal cavity. The trocar is used to introduce various instruments and tools into the abdominal cavity, as well as to provide insufflation to elevate the abdominal wall above the organs. The instruments and tools can be used to engage and/or treat tissue in a number of ways to achieve a diagnostic or therapeutic effect. Endoscopic surgery is another type of MIS procedure in which elongate flexible shafts are introduced into the body through a natural orifice.
Although traditional minimally invasive surgical instruments and techniques have proven highly effective, newer systems may provide even further advantages. For example, traditional minimally invasive surgical instruments often deny the surgeon the flexibility of tool placement found in open surgery. Difficulty is experienced in approaching the surgical site with the instruments through the small incisions. Additionally, the added length of typical endoscopic instruments often reduces the surgeon's ability to feel forces exerted by tissues and organs on the end effector. Furthermore, the relative remoteness of the instruments makes responding to any emergencies and/or errors during the surgery difficult. For example, if one or more instruments malfunction, it can be desirable to rapidly release any tissue coupled to the instruments and retract the instruments. But the remote placement of the instruments and the minimally-invasive nature of the surgery may make this desire difficult.
Thus it can be desirable to allow rapid release, reversal, and/or retraction of surgical instruments within a patient even if the instruments experience errors, malfunctions, and/or failures. While significant advances have been made in the field of robotic surgery, there remains a need for improved methods, systems, and devices for use in robotic surgery.